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RISC OS 3.7 User Guide

Appendix E: RISC OS file types

File types are three-digit hexadecimal numbers. They are divided into ranges.

• E00 - FFF: allocated by Acorn for generic data types
• B00 - DFF: allocated by Acorn to software houses for applications
• A00 - AFF: reserved for use by Acorn applications
• 400 - 9FF: allocated by Acorn to software houses for applications
• 100 - 3FF: allocated by Acorn to individuals for applications
• 000 - 0FF: free for users

For each type, there may be a default action on loading and running the file. These actions may change, depending on whether the desktop is in use, and which applications have been seen. The system variables Alias$@LoadType_XXX and Alias$@RunType_XXX give the actions (XXX = file type).

Some types have a textual equivalent set at start-up, which may be used in most commands (but not in the above system variables) instead of the hexadecimal code. These are indicated in the table below by a 'T'. For example, file type &FFF is set at start-up to have the textual equivalent Text. Other textual equivalents may be set as an application starts - for example, Acorn Desktop Publisher sets up file type &AF9 to be DtpDoc, and file type &AFA to be DtpStyle. These textual equivalents are set using the system variables File$Type_XXX, where XXX is the file type.

You should use the hexadecimal file type in command scripts and in programs, otherwise you will find that your files will give an error if you try to run them on a machine that uses a territory with different textual equivalents.

The following types are currently used or reserved by Acorn. Not all file types used by software houses are shown. This list may be extended from time to time: Acorn file types

File type	Description	Textual equivalent
FFF	Plain ASCII text	Text	T
FFE	Command (Exec) file	Command	T
FFD	Data	Data	T
FFC	Position independent code	Utility	T
FFB	Tokenised BASIC program	BASIC	T
FFA	Relocatable module	Module	T
FF9	Sprite or saved screen	Sprite	T
FF8	Absolute application loaded at &8000	Absolute	T
FF7	BBC font file (sequence of VDU operations)	BBC font	T
FF6	Font	Font	T
FF5	PostScript	PoScript	T
FF4	Dot Matrix data file	Printout	T
FF3	LaserJet data file	LaserJet	;
FF2	Configuration (CMOS RAM)	Config	T
FF1	Raw unprocessed data (e.g. terminal streams)	RawData
FF0	Tagged Image File Format	TIFF
FED	Palette data	Palette	T
FEC	Template file	Template	T
FEB	Obey file	Obey	T
FEA	Desktop	Desktop	T
FE9	ViewWord	ViewWord
FE8	ViewPS	ViewPS
FE7	ViewSheet	ViewSht
FE6	UNIX executable	UNIX Ex
FE4	DOS file	DOS	T
FE3	Atari file	Atari
FE2	Commodore Amiga file	Amiga
FE1	Make data	Make
FDF	TCP/IP suite	VT220 script	VTScript
FDE	TCP/IP suite	VT220 setup	VTSetup
FDD	Master utilities	MasterUtl
FDC	TCP/IP suite	unresolvable UNIX soft link	SoftLink
FDB	Text using CR and LF for line ends	TextCRLF
FDA	PC Emulator	DOS batch file	MSDOSbat
FD9	PC Emulator	DOS executable file	MSDOSexe
FD8	PC Emulator	DOS command file	MSDOScom
FD7	Obey file in a task window	TaskObey	T
FD6	Exec file in a task window	TaskExec	T
FD5	DOS Pict	Pict
FD4	International MIDI Assoc. MIDIfiles standard	MIDI
FD3	Acorn DDE	debuggable image	DebImage
FD1	BASIC stored as text	BASICTxt
FD0	PC Emulator	configuration	PCEmConf
FCF	Font cache	Cache	T
FCE	FileCore floppy disc image FileCoreFloppyDisc
FCD	FileCore hard disc image	FileCoreHardDisc
FCC	Device object within DeviceFS	Device	T
FCA	Single compressed file	Squash
FC9	Sun raster file	SunRastr
FC8	DOS MultiFS disc image	DOSDisc	T

Industry standard file types

File type	Description	Textual equivalent
DFE	Comma separated values	CSV
DEA	Data exchange format (AutoCAD etc)	DXF
DB4	SuperCalc III file	SuperCalc
DB3	DBase III file	DBaseIII
DB2	DBase II	DBaseII
DB1	DBase index file	DBaseIndex
DB0	Lotus 123 file	WK1 (was Lotus123)
CE5	TEX file	TeX
CAF	IGES graphics	IGES
CAE	Hewlett-Packard graphics language	HPGLPlot
C85	JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) file	JPEG

Acorn Advance file types

File type	Description	Textual equivalent
C25	Acorn Advance Wordprocessor	AWord
C26	Acorn Advance Spreadsheet	ASheet
C27	Acorn Advance Database	ADBase
C28	Acorn Advance Graph	AGraph

BBC ROM file type

File type	Description	Textual equivalent
BBC	BBC ROM file (ROMFS)	BBC ROM	T

Acornsoft file types

File type	Description	Textual equivalent
AFF	Draw file	DrawFile	T
AFE	Mouse event record	Mouse
AFA	DTP style file	DtpStyle
AF9	DTP documents	DtpDoc
AF8	First Word Plus file	1stWord+
AF7	Help file	HelpInfo
AF1	Maestro file	Music
AF0	ArcWriter file	ARCWriter
AE9	Alarm file	Alarms
ADB	Outline font (obsolete file type)	New Font